Treat your pup to their very own ‘yappy hour’ at this Sidney restaurant

Do you have a furry companion who absolutely loves to participate in a patio happy hour?

A restaurant located in Sidney is taking things one step further than having a dog-friendly patio by offering a full menu and ‘yappy hour’ dedicated specifically to that extra-shaggy family member.

Riva, located right on the waterfront and in the heart of downtown Sidney at 2357 Beacon Avenue, features a patio overlooking the beautiful Sidney harbour, pier and Salish Sea.

An entire section of that patio, shaded with large colourful umbrellas, has been dedicated to the four-legged friends who love to take part in an afternoon or evening restaurant outing.

Donna Phillips, owner of Riva, says that dogs aren’t just welcome at Riva, they’re a part of the culture of the restaurant. She originally came up with the idea when she got her Havanese pup Koko and wanted her to be able to enjoy dinner with the rest of the family.

The resemblance between Koko and Phillips is uncanny, and she jokes that she and Koko have the same hair stylist.

She said that having a restaurant that welcomes dogs is important for visitors and residents in Sidney alike.

While many residents of Sidney have dogs and love to bring them out, visitors to the township also often have pets that they want to include in their outings.

“There are so many boaters who come to Sidney, and boaters pretty much always have a dog,” Phillips told Victoria Buzz.

“They don’t want to leave the dog on their boat, it’s part of the family. They want a nice place to go and have dinner and a drink and take the dog somewhere it isn’t tethered outside the patio. That’s why we decided to have the dog menu too.”

The menu is available at all times, with items like the Dockside Chicken Bowl, with steamed rice, chicken and carrots, the Wagging Tail Dinner, featuring six ounces of shaved roast beef and the Lickety Split ice cream cup for those hot summer days.

Koko’s favourite is the Good Boy Burger—an unseasoned beef patty with an option to add bacon or cheese.

The restaurant also has a ‘yappy hour’ from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. daily, where dogs can come in for a free treat.

“The ladies will come in and have a glass of wine and bring the puppies, and they get a little treat,” she explained.

The patio is manned by a 60-year-old porcelain pooch named Ringo, who looks out to the street from the patio.

Ringo belonged to a friend of Phillips who had to downsize and was going to get rid of Ringo, but Phillips asked to have him as the mascot of the Riva patio.

Ringo watches the street from the patio, welcoming pups and people alike into the restaurant, and serving as a great photo opportunity for passers by.

Riva is a family-run restaurant, where Phillips does the design work, her partner Bill does the accounting, their son is the executive chef and their daughter is the office manager. The one in charge though, Phillips joked, is Koko.

Koko is a hit with customers and staff alike, with many staff calling Koko ‘boss.’

The restaurant is in a prime location in Sidney, with a view of downtown and the pier, where so many summer events take place.

Recently, the Salish Sea Lantern Festival took a route right past the patio of the restaurant.

Phillips said the dogs love to watch the people and listen to the music as events happen in the downtown area.

If you’re not a dog person, Riva also has a large portion of the patio that is separated from the dog-friendly section, as well as an indoor dining area with more than 250 seats.

From Thursday to Saturday, they also have live jazz inside the restaurant.

Next time you find yourself in Sidney with your furry friend and in need of a beverage or a bite to eat, try out Riva!